Back to You
by ZheM
Summary: An Alternate ending for Still. Kakashi comes home from his long mission and ends up somewhere he never expected.


Oh man, I really didn't plan on writing a sequel to 'Still' after getting so many of them written for me. lol But this just hit me today and I just thank God for the inspiration. Would you be upset if I said this was a late Valentine's Day gift for all me readers?? You guys are my ultimate Valentine.

Back to You  
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His hands left blood stains on the door when he tried to knock. He rested a heavy head against it, trying to summon the courage to actually announce his presence. He had been gone so long, too long, judging by his reluctance to even knock on what used to be his front door.

He had wanted to go through the window like he had used to do, but he was afraid of startling Iruka. Besides, the window was locked… He knew the chuunin should have been able to sense his chakra signature by now and must still be angry if he was refusing to even offer him the hospitality of opening the door.

The jounin lifted his head and was shocked to see it had left a smear of blood too. Careful fingers felt over his face, trying to find the source of the blood without agitating it further. There! There it was, just above his left eye. That was a close one. The ninja must have been smarter than the silver-haired man gave him credit for. He'd known that removing the Sharingan was the only way he and his comrades would survive.

He'd failed of course and now the jounin was left standing on his front stoop with an over excited head wound. And all he wanted was to sleep. His fingers brushed over the door again, fascinated with the marks he had already left there. Iruka would be pissed if he saw it. He cast a weary eye around trying to find anything he could use to clean up the mess he had made. There was nothing, until his eyes landed on the edge of the shirt that went under his ANBU uniform. It couldn't be that dirty, could it?

So that's how Iruka found him when he got tired of sensing his presence skulking on his front porch. He had his vest off and lying at his feet and his shirt was hiked up around his chest as he scrubbed at the blood on the door. Growls and mumbled curse words escaped the taller jounin as he only managed to smear the mess even more.

He looked up as the door was pulled away from him, surprise evident in his one open eye. He glanced down at the edge of the shirt in his hand and his bare chest before self-consciously dragging it down to cover the bruises already forming on his torso.

"Ah, Iruka-sensei… Yo," he managed a tight smile under his mask before reaching down to pick up his vest. His breath hitched a little as he straightened and he swayed a little more than he thought was normal.

"Ka-Kakashi? What are you doing here," Iruka's voice still held the same quiet concern he had come to expect form the chuunin and it was a welcome sound.

Kakashi leaned heavily against the doorjamb, grunting as something in his chest shifted. "Ah, I thought I should check in on you," he stopped for a moment to breath and a strange wet sound reached his ears. He listened for a moment and it didn't return. Kakashi took a breath to continue and stopped when he heard the sound again.

He frowned when Iruka looked at him in concern. He listened for the sound again. There! And there! Where was the sound coming from? Iruka stepped closer and pressed a warm palm against his cheek. What was he doing? Iruka hated him now.

"Iruka, wha-what," Kakashi had to stop again as a cough welled up in his chest. He tried to cover his mouth when he finally did cough but it didn't stop the few spatters of blood that crept through his fingers. His eyes widened as they landed on Iruka's pristine uniform and he tried to wipe it away.

"Stop, Kakashi. Stop," the chuunin yelled. Kakashi's hand stilled, Iruka was right, he was only making it worse.

"Sorry, Iruka. I'm sorry," his voice was filled with regret and even though Iruka couldn't see into both of his eyes, he knew they were sorry too. Kakashi turned to leave, his steps slow and obviously painful. Iruka could see that he was even leaving a small trail of blood as he walked away.

"Kakashi, wait. Come back," his voiced failed him before he could add a 'please' onto that sentence but he knew Kakashi would hear it. It was just a matter of whether or not he cared enough to stop.

His hung his head and turned slowly, anything faster than that and Kakashi was afraid he would stop breathing. And he couldn't stop, not now, not in front of Iruka. That could wait until he was far from the other man's doorstep.

Iruka's steps were hesitant when he stepped through the door. He approached the older ninja slowly, afraid he might disappear in a well-timed cloud of smoke, but Kakashi just stood there. He looked so fragile and alone standing there with blood trailing down his face and forming a puddle below his feet. His arm was stiff when Iruka ran his fingers down it and grasped Kakashi's hand in his own.

"Come on," he whispered softly, carefully tugging Kakashi back into the apartment.

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Review please??

I know it could and should be longer and full of loving but after all they've been through they need a little privacy. Here's hoping I see you again on my next story.  
Ja ne minna  
-ZM-


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